Granite State Stuff : Art Exhibits

December Schedule of Events at the Currier Museum of Art

AskLisa — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:29:00 GMT

Manchester, NH – Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow, is on display through January 3, 2010 at the Currier Museum of Art. It is the first major exhibition in 30 years dedicated to this brilliant, visionary, and prodigious photographer, showcasing his prolific body of work with more than 100 exquisitely printed vintage photographs from the 1920s through the 1980s, all handcrafted by the artist. Evolution of a Shared Vision: The David and Barbara Stahl Collection is also on view through January 3, 2010, and features an extraordinary collection of prints and drawings carefully assembled over 50 years by long-time New Hampshire residents David and Barbara Stahl.

The museum’s entrance is located at 150 Ash Street and parking is available in the parking lot. Museum hours are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday - Friday 11 am–5 pm, Saturday 10 am–5 pm, open the first Thursday of each month 11 am–8 pm, and closed Tuesday. Admission to the museum is always free for children 17 and under, and every Saturday from 10 am–noon admission is free to everyone.

The Currier Art Center offers art classes and vacation camps for all ages.

To find more information, visit www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x108.

DECEMBER

Public Guided Tours

Tours are offered daily, and highlight either the museum’s collection or the current special exhibition. Public tours are free with museum admission. Highlights of the Collection Tour with an introduction to the Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow and Evolution of a Shared Vision: The David and Barbara Stahl Collection: Saturdays at 11:30 am and Sundays at 1 pm. Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow photography exhibition tour times: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 12:30 pm.

Zimmerman House Ticketed Tours
Tour season ends Sunday, January 3

Take a tour of the Zimmerman House and learn more about this Frank Lloyd Wright treasure! The Zimmerman House tour season will end on Sunday, January 3 so be sure to make reservations soon! A Zimmerman House Tour provides visitors with a 1 ½ - 2 hour tour of the house with information about the Zimmermans’ life in the 1950s and 60s, and the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. These tours are offered Mondays and Fridays at 2 pm, Thursdays at 11:30 am and 2 pm, Saturdays at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 3 pm, and Sundays at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Zimmerman House public tours are free for museum members. It is recommended that reservations be made well in advance.

Private Group Tours Full-length tours, or 1-hour, introductory “Highlights” tours of the Zimmerman house can also be scheduled throughout the week and on weekends. For more information about tour schedules, tickets, and offerings, visit http://www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x113. Assistive listening systems are available for all public and private tours.

Holiday Music and Art

Thursday, December 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm

Join us for an evening of live music and holiday art-making. The Granite State Ringers, a handbell choir, and Renaissance guitarist Jack Nailor will perform in the museum. Stop by the Winter Garden for refreshments and make a beaded snowflake ornament to take home. From 5:30-7:30 visitors can enjoy a drop-in adult workshop “Beaded Snowflake Ornaments.” At 6 pm, join a 15-minute Gallery Talk “Photographs of Snowflakes.” $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Price includes museum admission, live music, gallery talk, and drop-in workshop. To purchase tickets visit http://www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x108.

Focus Tour – Celebrating Winter: A Ramble Through the Snowy Scapes in the Galleries

Friday, December 4 at noon

These special tours offer visitors in-depth gallery discussions on a particular theme, work of art, or artist, and this fall there are many great tours to choose from! Today’s tour will be led by Docent Jane White. Free with museum admission.

Big Apple Express

Saturday, December 5 from 6:30 am-11:30 pm

Enjoy the holiday season in New York City! Visit museums, shops, restaurants, or friends. Prices include transportation only. The coach departs from the Catholic Diocese of Manchester (153 Ash Street) promptly at 6:30 am. Arrive in Manhattan about 11:30 am to spend the day in the city. Re-board the coach at 7 pm to arrive back at the Diocese about 11:30 pm. $75 for members, and $95 for non-members. Reserve your seats by November 4 by calling 603.669.6144 x108.

Currier Museum Art Center Child & Parent Workshop:

Wicked Awesome Holiday Cards…and Stuff

Saturday, December 5 from 1-5 pm

Want to learn how to make fun, festive holiday cards, place cards, pop-up cards, party banners, party favors, gift boxes, wrapping paper and more!? Bring the kids to this child and parent collaborative workshop to learn how you can make your holidays bright, without breaking the bank! Get messy with glitter, glue, stamps, paint, markers, stickers…you name it and we’ll use it in this WICKED AWESOME workshop! Leave the mess for us to clean up, and go home loaded with tons of holiday creations for every event or celebration from now until New Year’s! $25 for 1 parent/child, $40 for 2 children. For more information about the Art Center, or to find the complete brochure and registration form, go to htt www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x122. Or, register by mail or in person at the Currier Museum Art Center, 180 Pearl Street, Manchester, NH 03104.

Focus Tour – Celebrating Winter: A Ramble Through the Snowy Scapes in the Galleries

Sunday, December 6 at 3 pm

70^th Anniversary Art Center Faculty Exhibition

Saturday, December 12 from 1-3 pm

Join us in the Currier Museum’s Community Gallery as we close this year’s 70^th Anniversary Celebration of the Currier Art Center with a full faculty art exhibition. This special exhibition showcases the vast range of art and crafts that our faculty create and exhibit throughout the region. A percentage of sales from this exhibition will support the scholarship fund of the Currier Museum Art Center.

Family Saturday: Making Multiples

Saturday, December 12 from 10:30 am-1:30 pm

Spend some quality family time at the Currier the second Saturday of every month. Participate in hands-on art activities, go on a guided family gallery walk (11:30 am), visit the Discovery Gallery, or use a family gallery guide. Museum admission is free from 10 am to 12 pm. Family Saturdays are sponsored by Ocean Bank.

Holiday Caroling in the Museum

Saturday, December 12 from Noon-2 pm

Warm up with some hot cocoa in the Winter Garden, take in some winter landscapes and enjoy the beautiful voices of the Manchester Choral Society as they sing holiday carols throughout the museum. The Manchester Choral Society performs under the musical direction of Dr. Dan Perkins. Come before noon to take advantage of free admission hours (Saturdays from 10 am-noon).

New Parent Gallery Talk: Brett Weston – Out of the Shadow

Thursday, December 17 from 11 am-noon

Has your new baby reduced your vocabulary to “coos” and other nonsensical words? These gallery talks are designed for parents (with baby in tow) to get a personalized tour of the museum. So pack up the baby stroller and stop by for some much needed adult conversation. Free with museum admission.

Storytime in the Gallery

Monday, December 28 from 11:30 am - noon

Looking for a way to introduce your preschooler to art? Come to the Currier for an art-related story read by Manchester City Library children’s librarian Karyn Isleb followed by a gallery talk about the “Artwork of the Day”. Recommended for ages 3 to 5, but all are welcome. Today, listen to the story The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats and look at Sharon’s Sleigh Ride Party by Paul Starrett Sample. Free with museum admission.

About the Currier

The Currier Museum of Art (www.currier.org) in Manchester, NH is home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. New galleries showcase the collection of over 11,000 objects, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Warhol. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging traveling exhibitions, a series of dynamic programs ranging from music to lectures to hands-on art-making, an expanded gift shop and an airy new café filled with light and equipped with WiFi.

The associated Art Center offers studio classes, art camps and intensive workshops for all ages. The museum also owns the Zimmerman House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, complete with the original furnishings and the owners' fine art collection. The Zimmerman House is the only Wright-designed house in New England open for public tours which are offered April – December. To book a tour or get more information, visit www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144, x108.

Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow

AskLisa — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:54:00 GMT

Brett Weston (1911-1993) was considered by many to be brilliant, visionary, prodigious, and among the most important photographers of the twentieth century. Yet, his achievements have often been overshadowed by those of his renowned father, Edward. In the first major exhibition in 30 years to be dedicated to Brett's prolific body of work, Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow concentrates on the photographer's distinct creative spirit. On view at the Currier from October 10, 2009 through January 3, 2010, this exhibition shows how Weston captured the magic of black and white prints through more than 100 exquisitely printed vintage photographs from the 1920s through the 1980s, all handcrafted by the artist.

Out of the Shadow focuses attention on Brett's abstract black-and-white photographs of landscapes, shapes and textures, and architectural elements. A pioneer in his field, Brett captured the intricacies and rhythms of form, light, and shadow, while avoiding photographic techniques such as contrived lighting, staging, or other manipulation.

Aside from two series taken in San Francisco in the 1930s and New York in the 1940s, and abstract images of painted walls, broken glass, and cars, Brett focused on aspects of the natural world, in both close-ups and big views. Although all of his photographs seem to have been taken outdoors, Brett did not consider himself a nature photographer. Many of his most beautiful and accomplished images are associated with water— beads of moisture, bubbles, clouds, ice, ocean, puddles, underwater nudes, wet kelp, wet stones. His sensual black-and-white images transformed quiet moments into powerful statements of bold abstractions. From the rocks of Pebble Beach (1980) that shimmer as if made from mercury, to the sand and horizon in White Sands New Mexico (1945) that looks so stark they join as one, Brett built his oeuvre by pushing the limits of vivid black-and-white contrasts.

Born in Los Angeles, Brett left California at the age of 13 to live with his father Edward in Mexico, taking his first picture on the boat ride south. In Mexico Brett learned form and composition from his father while using his portrait camera. Edward commented in his daybook, "He is doing better work at 14 than I did at 30. To have someone close to me, working so excellently, with an assured future, is happiness hardly expected." Brett received international recognition for his work at age 17, when 20 of his photographs appeared in the exhibition Film und Foto (1929), along with work by Edward Steichen, Berenice Abbott, Man Ray, and others. In 1947, Brett was awarded a Guggenheim grant to photograph East Coast landscapes.

A year later, Brett returned to California to help care for Edward as his health declined and to print his father's photographs, exercising the ultimate influence on Edward's art. In the following decades, Brett continued to create images of landscape and nature, making several trips to photograph locations in Europe, Japan, and Central America. In the late 1970s, Brett built a house in Hawaii, where he worked and lived for most of the rest of his life He guaranteed that he would be the only person to ever print his work by destroying all but a few negatives, which are permanently damaged. Brett died in 1993, in Kona, Hawaii.

See the first retrospective of the artist's work ever to be presented in Northern New England at the Currier and participate in programs developed to supplement this exhibition. On Sunday, November 1 at 2pm, join Stephen Bennet Phillips, curator of Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow as he discusses Weston's extraordinary contribution to the history of modern photography. On Thursday, November 5, 5:30-7:30 pm be a part of the Currier's Photo Slam for which amateur and professional photographers submitted examples of their work over the summer and the 12 chosen artists will be on view. Come vote for your favorite! Saturday, November 7, 12:30-2:30pm join Gary Samson, Chair of Photography for the New Hampshire Institute of Art, as he demonstrates photographic contact printing, a technique that Brett Weston used to create many of his photos.

Brett Weston: Out of the Shadow has been co-organized by The Phillips Collection and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. The exhibition at the Currier is sponsored by The Duprey Companies. Media sponsor for the exhibition is WZID, 95.7FM.

About the Currier
The Currier Museum of Art (http://www.currier.org) in Manchester, NH is home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. New galleries showcase the collection of over 11,000 objects, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Warhol. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging traveling exhibitions, a series of dynamic programs ranging from music to lectures to hands-on art-making, an expanded gift shop and an airy new café filled with light and equipped with Wi-Fi.

The associated Art Center offers studio classes, art camps and intensive workshops for all ages. The museum also owns the Zimmerman House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, complete with the original furnishings and the owners' fine art collection. The Zimmerman House is the only Wright-designed house in New England open for public tours which are offered April – December. To book a tour or get more information, visit www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144, ext. 108.

Open Mic Night featuring NH Poetry Slam Team

AskLisa — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:41:00 GMT

Creativity will flow in different forms at the Currier Museum of Art as poetry joins with art. On Thursday, September 3, from 5:30 to 7:30pm, the Currier is hosting an Open Mic Night featuring New Hampshire's Poetry Slam team fresh off their participation in the National Poetry Slam. A poetry slam combines poetry and performance and on this evening the NH Poetry Slam Team will share their creative expression of language and performance with museum visitors. Visitors are invited to join in on the slam and share their own poem.

This special First Thursday event features a social hour from 5:30-6:30pm; a 15-minute Talk 'Poetry and Art' at 6pm; the NH Poetry Slam team from 6:30-7pm; and an Open Mic period from 7-7:30pm.

This evening is free with museum admission: $10 for adult non-members, $9 for seniors (65 and older), $8 for students (with student ID), free for children 17 and under, and free for members. Reservations can be made online at www.currier .org or by calling 603.669.6144 x 108.

This evening is part of the Currier's First Thursday series and ends a week that explores poetry and art. On August 30 from 2:30 to 4 pm the Currier is hosting Poetry and Art: An Ekphrastic Experience. This program offers an opportunity for writers from around the state to read their poetry and prose in honor of the Currier's "Crest of the Wave" statue.

About the Currier
The Currier Museum of Art (http://www.currier.org) in Manchester, NH is home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. New galleries showcase the collection of over 11,000 objects, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Warhol. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging traveling exhibitions, a series of dynamic programs ranging from music to lectures to hands-on art-making, an expanded gift shop and an airy new café filled with light and equipped with Wi-Fi.

The associated Art Center offers studio classes, art camps and intensive workshops for all ages. The museum also owns the Zimmerman House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, complete with the original furnishings and the owners' fine art collection. The Zimmerman House is the only Wright-designed house in New England open for public tours which are offered April – December. To book a tour or get more information, visit http://www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x 108.

See Local Woodturners Create Art: FREE family day July 11 at the Currier Museum of Art

AskLisa — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:05:00 GMT

The art of the master woodturner is a delicate balance between precise control and the forces of chance. With the skilled touch of the craftsman, the natural beauty of the wood is revealed and enhanced. Visitors can observe how wood is turned into art on Saturday, July 11 during a FREE day of wood-themed activities at the Currier. The activities are related to the exhibition Turning Wood Into Art: The Jane and Arthur Mason Collection, on display July 3 – September 27, 2009.

The day features family art-making activities from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm where visitors can make their own mini-sculpture featuring turned wood components; a docent-led exhibition tour at 11:30 am; and a reception celebrating the exhibition Turning Wood Into Art from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. The reception features light refreshments, demonstrations of woodturning by New Hampshire Furniture Master Jon Siegel and turner Scott Ruesswick, and a tour of the exhibition with Chief Curator Andrew Spahr.

Turning Wood Into Art features 65 exquisitely crafted objects from one of the world's foremost collections of contemporary lathe-turned wood and highlights the aesthetic achievements in this medium. The exhibition showcases the work of well-known, first-generation turners like James Prestini, Bob Stocksdale, and Ed Moulthrop and important younger artists such as David Ellsworth and Philip Moulthrop. An international collection, it includes artists from Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States with representatives from the West Coast, Southwest and eastern states as well as Vermont artists Alan Stirt, Johannes Michelson, Michelle Holzapfel and former New Hampshire resident Mark Lindquist.

The exhibition is generously supported by Patrick and Kendra O'Donnell and by David and Barbara Roby. This exhibition is courtesy of the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, North Carolina. Tour management by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, Kansas City, Missouri.

About the Currier
The Currier Museum of Art (http://www.currier.org) in Manchester, NH is home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. New galleries showcase the collection of over 11,000 objects, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Warhol. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging traveling exhibitions, a series of dynamic programs ranging from music to lectures to hands-on art-making, an expanded gift shop and an airy new café filled with light and equipped with Wi-Fi.

The associated Art Center offers studio classes, art camps and intensive workshops for all ages. The museum also owns the Zimmerman House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, complete with the original furnishings and the owners' fine art collection. The Zimmerman House is the only Wright-designed house in New England open for public tours which are offered April – December. To book a tour or get more information, visit http://www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144, ext. 108.

First Thursday Event: Spend an Evening with Artists Gary Haven Smith and Gerald Auten

AskLisa — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:44:00 GMT

On Thursday, June 4 the Currier will celebrate the second exhibition in the museum's Spotlight New England series. This exhibition showcases the work of Gary Haven Smith and Gerald Auten - two of the region's most accomplished contemporary artists working in abstract styles.

Museum visitors are invited to meet the artists during this special First Thursday event. The evening will include a discussion by the artists about their art, working methods, and their objects on view. The discussion will be from 6 – 6:30 pm in the Auditorium. A question and answer session with the artists follows in the gallery from 6:30 - 7 pm. The event is free with museum admission.

The exhibition featuring sculpture, paintings, and drawings by Gary Haven Smith and Gerald Auten is on view from May 23 to September 13. While the artists have frequently exhibited throughout the region and nationally, and their work is represented in numerous private and public collections, this is first exhibition for both of them at the Currier Museum of Art.

The emphasis on minimal forms, sensuous surfaces, and mark making in the work of Smith and Auten will encourage viewers to explore the visual and creative relationships between these prominent New Hampshire-based artists.

This exhibition is supported by the Fleisher Family Fund of the NH Charitable Foundation, Nancy B. Tieken, and The Gloria Wilcher Exhibition Fund.

This evening is part of the Currier's First Thursday series. On the first Thursday evening of each month, the museum is open late and provides programming designed to inspire visitors to try something new.

Free admission to the Currier, April Vacation Week

AskLisa — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 02:13:00 GMT

This spring during school vacation week, April 27-May 1, bring the family to the Currier Museum of Art on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to enjoy the museum's collections and programs for free (the museum is closed on Tuesdays). The Currier is offering special programs this week for the entire family to enjoy including story time, family gallery talks, hands-on activities, tours, and a musical performance. Free admission for the week is underwritten by the Citizens Bank Foundation. Museum admission is also free every Saturday from 10 a.m. - noon and always free to children under 18.

"The Currier recognizes that in this challenging economy many families may chose to stay closer to home and will look for local family-friendly activities," said Currier director Susan Strickler. "Given the tremendous success of our free February vacation week where we had 2,300 visitors, we want to once again support our community by providing free museum admission to make our extraordinary collections and programs accessible to everyone during this uncertain time. We are extremely grateful to Citizens Bank Foundation for making this possible."

"On behalf of the Citizens Bank Foundation, we are pleased to partner with the Currier once again to offer free admission to the museum during April school vacation week," said Cathleen A. Schmidt, president of Citizens Bank. "I encourage families to take advantage of this unique opportunity to view world-class art exhibits and participate in the fun activities scheduled later this month."

April Vacation Programming (please note the Currier is closed Tuesdays)

Museum Tour
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12:30 p.m.
Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay
Explore this family-friendly exhibition with a public tour.

Spring School Vacation Week: Storytime in the Gallery
Monday, April 27 at 11:30 am
Come to the Currier for an art-related story read by Manchester City Library children's librarian Karyn Isleb followed by a gallery talk about the "Artwork of the Day". Recommended for ages 3 to 5, but all are welcome. Today, listen to the story What it Feels Like to Be a Building by Forrest Wilson and see the Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay exhibition.

Spring School Vacation Week: Storytime in the Gallery
Monday, April 27 at 1 pm
Rome Antics by David Macaulay will be read by Manchester City Library children's librarian Karyn Isleb followed by a family gallery talk about the drawings from the book on display in our special exhibition Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay.

Spring School Vacation Week: Family Studio – Building Books
Wednesday, April 29 from 2:30-4:30 pm
Adults and children can drop by one of the museum studios to participate in an art-related activity and brief gallery talk about the "Artwork of the Day" April's Family Studio theme is "Building Books."

Spring School Vacation Week: Family Drawing in the Galleries
Thursday, April 30 from 1-3 pm
Enjoy drawing? Come to the Currier and sketch amongst the works of art on view. Art educators will be available to offer advice and encouragement. Pencils and paper will be provided, or bring your own.

Spring School Vacation Week: Family Performance – Mike Morris
Friday May 1 at 1 pm
Join guitarist, singer, and songwriter Mike Morris for this unique family performance!

New Exhibitions Show Latest Additions to Currier Collection

AskLisa — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:03:00 GMT

The collections of the Currier Museum of Art continue to grow over the years thanks in large part to generous gifts from donors and bequests of art. On February 14 the Currier opens two concurrent exhibitions that showcase some of the more recent additions to the collection.

A Passionate Collector: Highlights from the Robert Cross Vergobbi Bequest
In 2007 the Currier received a major bequest of modernist art works from long time New York collector Robert Cross Vergobbi. Mr. Vergobbi began collecting European works on paper during the 1960s and 1970s while working for IBM in Nice, France. When he returned to live in Brooklyn, he focused his collecting on work by American artists, specifically those with ties to New York. At this time Mr. Vergobbi sharpened his eye by frequenting exhibitions at The Museum of Modern Art and local New York galleries. Building his collection would dominate the last decades of his life.

The strength of the Vergobbi collection is in twentieth-century works on paper by American and European artists, and in nineteenth-century bronzes. Mr. Vergobbi's interests were broad, and he collected work by many important modernist artists who were not represented in the Currier's collection. Most notable are several beautiful drawings by Isabel Bishop and Paul Cadmus as well as prints by Alberto Giacometti and Georges Braque. In addition, the graphic work by Mr. Vergobbi's favorite artists Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, and Walt Kuhn adds depth to our understanding of artists already represented in the Currier's holdings.

This exhibition, which constitutes about one third of the bequest, is in celebration of Mr. Vergobbi's life, his love of the arts, and his generosity towards the Currier.

Function and Sculpture: Building a Ceramics Collection
The Currier's ceramics collection has gone through an extraordinary evolution. In the last decade the museum acquired through gift and bequest two major private collections of ceramics. The first came from Manchester native Charlotte K. Anderson and the second from Helen and Herbert Whitlock of Eastham, MA. This exhibition highlights many objects from these collections, on view for the first time. Also on view will be a recent gift of 15 major ceramics pieces by internationally celebrated artist Toshiko Takaezu.

Toshiko was one of the first artists to explore the medium of clay as an art form. Her simplified, sculptural forms are decorated with subtle yet powerful designs that recall the lyricism of Japanese calligraphy and dynamism of American abstract painting. Toshiko's work and working aesthetic has inspired generations of ceramic artists.

About the Currier
The Currier Museum of Art (http://www.currier.org) is home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. New galleries showcase the collection of over 11,000 objects, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Warhol. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging traveling exhibitions, a series of dynamic programs ranging from music to lectures to hands-on art-making, an expanded gift shop and an airy café filled with light and equipped with WiFi. The associated Art Center offers studio classes, art camps and intensive workshops for all ages.

The Currier is located at 150 Ash Street, Manchester, New Hampshire and is wheelchair accessible. Museum hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 11-5; Saturday, 10-5. Closed Tuesdays. Open 11-8 the first Thursday of each month. To get more information, visit http://www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144, x108.

Treat your Valentine to Art and Romance at the Currier

AskLisa — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:48:00 GMT

Whether you're celebrating with or without kids, the Currier Museum of Art offers special Valentine's programming for all throughout Valentine's weekend.

On Friday, February 13 at 12 p.m. join the Love Tour: Romantic Couples in the Currier Collection. This tour is free with museum admission and will be led by Docents Pat Howard and Jane Bentas.

The Family Saturday theme for February is: Love is in the Air. Come to the Currier February 14 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. to participate in hands-on art activities, go on a guided family gallery walk (11:30 a.m.), visit the new Discovery Gallery, or use a family gallery guide. Many activities focus on the theme of the month. Museum admission is free from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Family Saturdays are sponsored by Ocean Bank.

On Sunday, February 15 the Currier offers a variety of programming. From 1 – 3 p.m. express your inner artist with Drawing in the Galleries. Come to the Currier and sketch amongst the works of art on view. Art educators will be available to offer advice and encouragement. Pencils and paper will be provided, or bring your own.

At 3 p.m. join the Love Tour: Romantic Couples in the Currier Collection.
This tour is free with museum admission and will be led by Docents Pat Howard and Jane Bentas.

Looking for some romantic music to end the weekend? Enjoy the Distinguished Artists Concert Series: Mira Trio, Piano, Violin, Cello, with a tour at 1 p.m. and concert at 2 p.m. The Mira Trio is named after the red star in the constellation Cetus-Stella Mira-meaning "the wonderful star." The trio's name reflects their commitment to showcasing the power of music of the Classical and early Romantic periods to inspire audiences with wonder. They will perform pieces by Felix Mendelsson and his older sister Fanny. This program is $10 for Currier members and $20 for non-members. Prices include the tour, performance, and admission to the museum. To reserve your seats, visit http://www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144 x108.

After your visit, be sure to stop by the shop to look for that special something for your Valentine. Don't miss the sale table. We are making room for new merchandise, so games, t-shirts, glassware, hand loomed shawls and scarves are all discounted 30-50%.

The 61st NH Art Association Exhibition at the Currier Museum of Art

AskLisa — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:07:00 GMT

The Currier Museum of Art is hosting the 61st exhibition of the New Hampshire Art Association (NHAA) from January 17 through February 16, 2009 in the museum's new special exhibition gallery. The NHAA is a juried artist organization with members from New Hampshire, Vermont, northern Massachusetts, and southern Maine. This long-standing tradition is one of the Art Association's most popular events.

Featuring work by New Hampshire's most accomplished artists as well as an exciting roster of emerging artists, the annual exhibition provides New Hampshire artists with an opportunity to exhibit at the Currier Museum of Art. Over 250 works were submitted for consideration.

Each year a different juror is invited from among New England's art professionals to select works for the exhibition. This year's juror is Trevor Smith, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, MA. A native of British Columbia, Smith has worked in museums in Australia and served as curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. Smith selected 50 works in a variety of media, including painting, watercolor, photography, and sculpture for the exhibition. He awarded prizes in eight different categories, including the Currier Prize to the "Best of Show." Prizes will be announced at the Member's reception on January 16.

The NHAA annual exhibition is sponsored by Centrix Bank with additional support from Nancy B. Tieken.

About the Currier
The Currier Museum of Art (www.currier.org) is home to an internationally respected collection of European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture. New galleries showcase the collection of over 11,000 objects, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, and Warhol. Visitors of all ages will enjoy the engaging traveling exhibitions, a series of dynamic programs ranging from music to lectures to hands-on art-making, an expanded gift shop and an airy café filled with light and equipped with WiFi. The associated Art Center offers studio classes, art camps and intensive workshops for all ages.

The Currier is located at 150 Ash Street, Manchester, New Hampshire and is wheelchair accessible. Museum hours are: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 11-5; Saturday, 10-5. Closed Tuesdays. Open 11-8 the first Thursday of each month. Admission to the NH Art Association Exhibition is free to Currier members. Nonmember admission: adults $10; seniors $9; students $8; children under 18 free. Free to all on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. To get more information, visit www.currier.org or call 603.669.6144, ext. 108.

About the NHAA
The New Hampshire Art Association is a statewide non-profit professional affiliation of visual artists whose objective is to stimulate the public's awareness and appreciation of the visual arts and to provide member artists with opportunities for their professional advancement and exhibitions of their creative output. The Association also promotes through outreach educational programming for its membership and the general public. The NHAA is located at the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery at 136 State Street in Portsmouth and they can be reached at nhartassociation@comcast.net or 603.431.4230.